Following is the abstract of a research paper by a team of University of Nevada/Whittemore Peterson Institute researchers. The paper will be presented May 9 to immunologists gathered in Baltimore at Immunology 2010™ by UN/WPI lead author Isabel Barao-Silvestre.

We cultured their peripheral blood mononuclear cells with the drug for 24 hrs and monitor NK activity to K562 cells by flow cytometry, concurrently measuring degranulation by externalization of CD107a, and expression of Grz B and perforin.

Treatment markedly increased CD107a externalization in the NK cell population as indicated by 5-fold increases in CD107a-positive cell frequencies and 3-fold increases in their CD107a MFI, with slight positive shifts in intracellular Grz B and perforin.

In contrast, T cells showed little change in CD107a externalization.

Our results suggest that degranulation rates may be more affected than the levels of cytotoxic proteins, indicating a novel mechanism by which NK activity was affected by the drug.

The increase in degranulation per NK cell indicates a mechanism by which Ampligen treatment can improve NK cell function.

Ampligen has been in the works for years now. When is it ever going to be available? Or is it? I guess I'm getting a little impatient with the lack of availablitly of a promising treatment for a disease that has ruined 23 years of my life.